Damn the Dead
by kmcgeezy
Summary: Two sisters in search of their father in Georgia, come in contact with a small group of survivors on the outskirts of Atlanta. Daryl/OC, a little Rick/OC. Does not follow closely to show!
1. Not Ready To Die

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**This is my first attempt at writing a Walking Dead fan-fiction, so bear with me if it's horrible.**

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><p>I don't know how or where it all started; I don't think anyone really does. Everyone just started getting sick, dying, and then somehow, the dead started walking the earth again, attacking and <em>eating<em> every living thing. It's a pandemic; the whole world is getting infected. At least, that's what I assume has happened. The United States government issued a broadcast saying that "safe zones" were being set up on the outskirts of major cities and towns, and The National Guard was guarding the perimeters and only letting in those with no signs of infection.

A week after the infection began, everything cut off. No television, no phone signal, nothing. Those who weren't infected quickly began relocating to the "safe zones" nearest them, just packing their families into cars and leaving. Not that they really got all that far before abandoning their cars because of blockage, becoming walker food, or got infected themselves.

When this all started happening, my father was relocated to a safe zone just outside of Savannah, Georgia, and he instructed that my sister and I barricade ourselves in the bomb shelter until he came back to get us.

The thing is, we lived 14 hours away from Savannah, and we had no idea if or when he would come back to get us. We had plenty of supplies, enough to last us for a few months, but we couldn't just sit there forever.

Not being able to contact our dad in any way had become unnerving, and Emily and I both agreed that if he couldn't come to us, than we were going to him. We filled our military issued rucksacks with as much food and supplies we could, than raided our father's weapons room and grabbed as much from there, as well.

We've never actually had to defend ourselves against the flesh-eating dead before, but our dad trained us with every weapon he owned. I chose two of my father's 9mm Beretta Px4 Storm, as well as some magazines and silencers for each. I also grabbed my hunting crossbow, which was like my second half. It's my weapon of choice when it comes down to it, and I wouldn't have left without it. Emily grabbed a sawed off shotgun, as well as a Glock 23. She also grabbed two Mk 1 Hand Grenades, but I think she brought them because dad never let us experiment with those. Her absolute favorite weapon is the M110 SASS, but of course we had no room whatsoever for a sniper rifle. Last but not least, we grabbed a baseball bat. You can never go wrong with a baseball bat.

Our dad was gone a lot of the time because of the military, and our mom died when we were young, so we pretty much lived with our grandparents in the Pocono Mountains instead of needing to travel with our dad where ever he went. They were always taking us camping, so we had plenty of outdoors/camping experience, as well as supplies.

After packing up everything we could think of, we left a note in case other survivors happened to stop by, letting them know they could use whatever supplies they needed; then hopped in my jeep, said goodbye to our little Pennsylvanian town, and hit the open, walker infested roads.

The highways actually weren't all that bad, it's just the in-town roads that we really needed to worry about. It's like the walkers horded together in search of food.

All in all, it took us about two days, even though it should have only been a 14 hour trip, to get to Georgia, before we ended up breaking down.

Smoke just started pouring from the hood of the jeep, and I knew we were shit out of luck. Dad may have taught us everything there is to know about weapons, but not so much when it came to cars.

Cursing, I slammed the hood down before hopping on it, blowing my hair out of my eyes. Sweat rolled down my face as I looked up towards the bright sun. It was a cloudless, October day, although it felt like a scorching July one. It had to be only about 85 degrees, but the humidity was a lot worse, and with no cloud coverage, it was torture.

"I'm guessing we're stuck, then?" I heard my sister, Emily ask. Turning towards her, I saw that she was reclined in the passenger seat with her foot hanging out the window, sunglasses covering her eyes.

"Not necessarily," I smirked, "we could ya know, oh I don't know… walk? We have feet for a reason, Em." I heard her scoff at me, before opening her door and getting out of the car.

"Let's get our shit then, and go. It'll be dark soon, and we still need to find somewhere to camp for the night. I don't want any surprise attacks while I get my beauty sleep."

Rolling my eyes, I got off the hood of the car and walked around to the back to grab my backpack from the trunk. "There's a wooded area about 3 miles up the road, we should be able to get there without any trouble and tie ourselves up in a tree or something, for precaution. Might be able to even find a squirrel or something too, so we don't end up using all our MRE's," I said while tightening my boot laces.

I quietly laughed, just knowing what was coming.

"Jesus, Kait. You know I'm a vegetarian, I don't know how many times I have to fucking explain it to you. I have been for years, remember?" Glancing at her, I saw she had a frown on her face with her hands on her hips.

Sarcastically I responded, "Oh I'm sorry, I forgot. Let me just run to the grocery store and get you some humus or something." Emily just glared at me before starting towards our wooded destination.

"Can't you take a damned joke? You act as if there is an apocalypse or something going on," I shouted in her general direction.

I heard a mumbled, "Fuck you," before I shut the trunk with a wicked grin and followed after my sister.


	2. The Redneck & The Sheriff

**A/N: **Hey y'all! Be sure to review this for me, okay? I want a lot of constructive criticism! :)

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><p>We managed to get to the woods in about two hours, only having to beat in the faces of three walkers before we got there. I scouted the surrounding area for anything suspicious, but didn't find anything, not even a damned squirrel. Guess we'll just have to manage with what we have, which is just a bunch of MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), some trail mix, beef jerky, candy, and water in our canteens. I was hesitant to use the MRE's because they're basically full sized meals, and I wanted to hold on to them for as long as possible. Squirrel was quick and easy, and with it just being me that will eat them, I usually don't end up sleeping on an empty stomach. Emily is pretty much stuck with her trail mix, candy, and vegetarian MRE's. We looted a small store yesterday; it was pretty much stripped of supplies already, but we managed to get a few things that we didn't already have. We would survive, for now, but what I would do for a greasy cheeseburger, though.<p>

We found a large tree to strap ourselves to, and climbed it as soon as the sun was about to set. We probably should have brought sleeping bags or something with us, but the thought of sleeping on the ground and not seeing a walker from a safe distance, paranoid me, to say the least. We did manage, though, to grab two blankets, so that provided a little bit of comfort. The little bit of rope had managed to keep us in the tree, for the most part, but one of us always stayed up to keep watch while the other slept.

I took first watch, and stared up at the stars thinking about life before all of this happened. I enjoyed my life before this, but I felt as if I had no purpose. I graduated high school, but after that I had no plan. I just worked as hard as I could at my shitty Walmart job every day, then came home and lounged around doing nothing, or sometimes partied with Emily and our friends. Mundane as it was most of the time, at least I wasn't fighting to stay alive.

Emily pretty much did the same as I did during the days, but we were content with it. My sister and I lived in my grandparents' house; they left everything to us when they died last year. Things got a little better when dad came back home, especially when it came to paying the bills. He was only home for six months before the damned infection started happening, and had to leave again. I suppose that's all part of the job description; putting others before yourself.

I ended up dozing off, and wasn't able to wake Emily up for her shift. That's okay, we both needed the sleep. As long as neither of us fell out of the tree, we would be safe. I woke up to the sound of a loud cracking of a branch being stepped on somewhere close.

_Hmm, there wasn't anything in the woods last night._

Sitting up abruptly, I untied myself from the tree and climbed down silently. The morning chill was still in the air, but it was bound to be another scorcher. With a single Beretta in its holster I quietly started scouting the woods. Emily would be able to take care of herself for an hour or so, as long as gravity didn't take effect and cause her to fall from the tree.

After 20 minutes of searching, I found nothing and started back to the campsite. Since I pretty much grew up out in the woods, I really had no need for a compass or anything, and could usually find my way without any trouble. It's funny how even though I've never been in the Georgian woods, I still managed not to get lost.

I had the feeling that I was being followed, so I stopped and looked around me once more, still not seeing anything. I decided that I shouldn't take a direct route to the campsite, to keep Emily out of harm's way, so I cut to the left to take the long way back. After getting a few feet, it felt as if someone was closing in on me, so I once again stopped. Feeling the hairs on the back of my neck start to rise, I quickly whipped out my Beretta from its holster and turned towards the thing behind me.

My gun was pointing directly at a crossbow armed man. We stared at each other with hate filled eyes for a few moments before he growled, "Who are ya?" I didn't say anything for a moment, just took in the southern accent I heard come out of the man's mouth. After I didn't answer, he attempted to take a step forward, but not before I managed to slap his crossbow away and point my gun at his face. He glanced over at the fallen crossbow then turned to me, pure fury in his eyes, but I didn't care. He was the one to follow me, which is one of the stupidest things a person can do. I don't take shit from anyone, especially not some southern redneck who stalks me in the woods.

"What the fuck is yer problem, bitch?" he asked, seething.

"My problem? What's your problem? You're the one stalking me like some animal in the woods, you fucking country bumpkin'. What is this, _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_?" We glared at each other for a few moments, but I stood my ground. Before I knew it though, he grabbed the gun from my hand and twisted me around so that my arms were pinned behind me and my back towards him. I felt his heavy breathing against my hair, which caused my breathing to quicken, not knowing what he was going to do.

"Don't ever point a gun in my face again, ya got that?" I elbowed him in the ribs and broke away from his grasp, "Yeah, I got it. Don't you ever sneak up on me again, or I will break the pretty little crossbow you got in half. _You got that_, Billy Bob?" If looks could kill, I would surely be dead.

_Who did this asshole think he was?_

"Daryl!" I heard another male voice shout, and then come into view. This man was wearing what looked to be a sheriff's outfit, the cowboy looking hat included. He had his hand on his own pistol situated in his holster, but didn't bother to pull it out when he saw I was unarmed and human. I looked over at _Daryl, _who still looked like he was foaming at the mouth, and saw him walk over to retrieve his fallen crossbow. He inspected it carefully; making sure nothing was damaged, before slinging it across his back.

There was no way in hell that I would actually hurt his crossbow because hell, I would be furious if anyone touched mine!

My attention then focused back on the sheriff, who still stood in the same spot trying to catch his breath after racing after Daryl. "I'm Rick Grimes, ma'am. Are you here by yourself?" he wheezed out.

"No," I replied, walking over towards Daryl with an incredulous look on my face. "Give me my gun back, asshole." He looked down at the Beretta, then back at me before sticking it in his back pocket.

_I can't believe I only brought one gun with me, why did I do that?_

I took a step towards him, a growl escaping my mouth. He just stood there, just looking at me like I had three heads or something. "Give me my gun back, now." Stifling a chuckle, he started to turn away. I grabbed his arm with my hand, and he quickly had me back in the same position as before.

"Daryl! Enough," Rick started. Daryl quickly pushed me off him and took a few steps back. "Look Miss, we don't intend to harm you or whoever else is with you. We were just searching the woods for walkers and hopefully some food. Our group is just on the other side of the woods…" Rick continued as he walked towards me.

I looked between the two men, still not trusting them. I let my tough façade melt away a bit and the sheriff seemed to take a breath, and put a small smile on his face.

"It's just my sister and I. She's up in a tree sleeping about 5 minutes from here," I stated and started walking in her direction.

I wasn't sure if they were going to follow or not, and I really didn't care. I was somewhat relieved to see other people alive though, it made it realize that it's just not my sister and I who were still living humans. Those two men are the first living people, besides my sister, that I've seen in about a month and a half. I eventually heard them start to follow me, which led me to believe I didn't scare them off. That's a relief.

"Kait, where the –"Emily started before realizing I was being followed. "Who are they?" she asked, untying herself from the tree and throwing her backpack on the hard ground below.

"The angry redneck is Daryl, and the sheriff is Rick. Said they got a group of people on the other side of the woods with them. Care to check it out?" I smirked at her.

"We never invited you to come back with us," Daryl said angrily. He looked to Rick for support, but got none.

"Daryl…" Rick warned.

"We don't even know these broads, how do we know they aren't infected or anything? We already know the one is crazy, who's to say the other one ain't either?" he spat. I ignored the comment and grabbed all my gear while waiting for Emily to get all of hers.

"They are coming with us, there is no discussion. They ain't bit, and we surely could use more people at camp," Rick said, starting to walk back the way we just came. Emily wasted no time in following him, passing me with an eyebrow raised and a smile on her face. I knew that look, that was her 'Oh, he's attractive' look. She obviously didn't notice the wedding band the man was wearing. I rolled my eyes at her before looking over at the Daryl character.

He was glaring, again. "Aren't you coming, princess?" I asked him slinging my own crossbow over my shoulder and sliding my second Beretta in its holster.

"I ain't fuckin' letting you walk behind me. You're crazy and I don't need you shooting me or sumthin'," he growled. I noticed that he does that a lot. Glare and growl.

"Well, dumb shit, just so you know… I wouldn't waste the ammo." I said, then started following behind Emily and Rick. I heard the disgruntled man follow me after I got a few feet ahead of him.

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><p>We all walked in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being Emily breaking every goddamned stick in the woods. After a long, internal debate, I decided that I should probably apologize to Daryl, considering I would probably be sleeping in the same general area as him tonight. I did not want to risk him shooting me with his crossbow while I'm sleeping, even though I would just shoot his ass right back with mine.<p>

I stopped abruptly, not realizing he was so close to me, and turned around. He pretty much rammed right into me, knocking me back a little. He caught me by the arm and steadied me, probably not even realizing he did it. He still glared at me with those cold, blue eyes; questioning what I was doing.

"Look, Daryl, I know we didn't get off to a great start…"

"Save it," he said, and then walked around me. I stared at him in disbelief. Here I am trying to apologize, and this guy just decides to be a total douche and not even let me attempt at saying sorry.

"Hey!" I shouted. He stopped in his tracks and turned around.

Looking at his surroundings first, then at me, he replied, "What?"

"Just let me apologize, okay? I don't need to be on the shit list of someone whom I just met. Usually I wouldn't care, but these aren't usual circumstances." He didn't try to stop me, so I continued, "I'm sorry I might have hurt your pretty little crossbow, I know I would hate it if someone threw mine on the ground; I'm sorry for pointing a gun at your face, and I'm sorry for acting like a complete bitch. My defenses are up right now, but whose aren't? So if I hurt your feelings or something, I'm just sorry."

"Do ya always ramble on like that?" he asked me.

I let out a laugh and shook my head, "Pretty much, yeah. You'll get used to it. So, am I forgiven?"

Bluntly he replied, "No. And I don't have feelings, so you didn't hurt them none. Now hurry the fuck up so we can get back to the camp."

Looking at the ground, I started walking towards him as he was waiting to get back behind me. Just as I was about to pass him, he grabbed my arm. I looked up at him as he pulled my Beretta out of his back pocket and handed it to me. "You aim this at me again, and you'll never get it back."

I grinned and took it before putting its holster, "That's okay. That's what I have another one for," I said before walking in the direction Emily and Rick went in.

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><p><strong>AN**: I know, I know. I need to work on Daryl's imperfect English, it just irritates me when I try to spell the words and they don't look right.


	3. Shift Work

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><p>Quicker than I thought possible, we arrived to the other side of the woods and saw about nine more people standing around an RV. I was surprised to see so many people living and traveling together, and it definitely wasn't what I was expecting.<p>

Rick introduced us to everyone in a quick manner, I learned everyone's names relatively quickly; I was just happy to be surrounded by people again. There was Carl, Rick's son, and his wife, Lori; Carol and her daughter Sophia; Rick's friend and Deputy, Shane; T-Dog, Andrea, Dale, and Glenn. They were all really friendly and accepted Emily and I almost immediately, which was a relief.

I learned that they just came from the CDC in Atlanta a few days ago, where this crazy scientist tried to blow them up. Quietly Rick also mentioned that they had another woman with them, Jaqui, but she decided to stay at the CDC, and that they were close to losing Andrea as well. I did notice that she was acting quite distant from the group and spent most of her time inside the RV.

I noticed that everyone looked exhausted, and with good reason, too. They are lucky to have even made it out of the CDC alive, especially with a group as big as theirs.

Emily and I told them of our plan to find our father in Savannah, but we were going to stop in Atlanta to see if there was a possible "safe zone". We were told that there was no "safe zone" in Atlanta, and that they were swamped with walkers. I shuddered at the thought of my sister and I walking into this city, not knowing any of this. We would definitely be walker chow; there was no doubt about it. It doesn't matter how many guns you have, if too many attack at once, there is no hope of getting out alive.

When Daryl wasn't around I asked T-Dog why he was such a dick, and I learned that he recently lost his brother in Atlanta. "We went back to get him, but the fucker sawed his own hand off and left it on the roof. Daryl has always been distant and pissy, but ever since he lost Merle, it's just gotten worse." I glanced up and saw that Daryl had been walking by when T-Dog said that last part, but he just strode away without a single word.

T-Dog let out the breath he had been holding, "He doesn't like me very much, since I was the one who dropped the damned cuff key." Without another word, he went to join Dale and Glenn by the RV.

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><p>"So, how long do you guys plan to stay here?" Emily asked, as we sat around a mini fire in the woods later that night.<p>

"We'll probably leave tomorrow. We're still too close to the city, too close to the walkers for my liking," Rick replied. Emily just nodded her head as she reached in her bag and pulled out an MRE.

"What is that?" Carl asked, pointing at the packaged food.

"These are called MRE's, which stands for _Meals Ready to Eat_. Kait and I's dad is in the National Guard, and he stocked up on this stuff. They're pretty decent. It comes with an entrée, side, dessert, and a drink. The whole sha-bang," Emily said.

"Speaking of which, what kind of food and supplies do you guys have?" I asked, looking around at the group.

"Not much," said Lori, "just some canned foods, and whatever Daryl manages to get in the woods, which is mostly squirrel."

I nodded my head, before turning towards my backpack. I unzipped the compartment that I kept my MRE's in, and pulled them all out. "Well, I have enough MRE's here for everyone tonight and some tomorrow. I'm sure we can find another military supply house and get some more sometime. So here, take what you want," I said with a smile.

"You don't have to Kaitlyn, that's okay. We're just fine with the canned stuff," Lori urged.

"No," I said looking over at Emily, "we can share ours, I mean it's the least we can do. These are like actual meals, and it wouldn't be fair of us not to share. You guys look like you've had one hell of a day."

Emily nodded her head, and reached into her bag to get her vegetarian MRE's. Everyone seemed grateful, and took a package of whatever they wanted. Everyone except for Daryl that is, who claimed he wasn't hungry. I hid one in my backpack to give to him later. The guy was a douche, but I'm not gonna let him starve.

When it came time to go to sleep, I suggested that I stay up and be on watch with Glenn, but everyone quickly dismissed that idea. T-Dog volunteered to go on watch, but he looked so tired and I felt bad.

"No, really. It's not a problem. T-Dog looks exhausted, he deserves some sleep," I told everyone. We compromised that I would sleep a little first, and then take T-Dog's shift afterwards.

Then there was the problem of deciding where Emily and I would sleep. Since T-Dog and Glenn shared a tent, they offered it to us while they were on watch and we gladly accepted. As I was about to climb into my tent I saw that Daryl had his own tent as well, but it was set farther away then everyone else's. He was sitting outside of it with his own fire, cleaning his arrows. Our eyes met briefly and I gave him a tiny smile, before reaching into my bag and retrieving the MRE. I walked over to him, and tossed it next to him.

"Here, its chicken with dumplings, you look hungry." He looked over at the package of food before looking back at me.

"You know how to make it?" I asked, hands on my hips.

"Yeah, I'll figure it out," he replied focusing back on his arrows. Rolling me eyes, I reached down and grabbed the MRE before opening it for him and getting everything situated. It didn't take any longer than five minutes, and before he knew it, I was shoving the chicken in his face.

Slowly, he reached for it, brushing my hand with his as he grabbed it. "Thanks," he mumbled as I got up. I stood there for a few moments, before turning around and going back to the tent.

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><p>Gasping, I woke up not realizing where I was. As my sight adjusted, I remembered meeting Rick and Daryl and coming back to their camp with them yesterday. Then I realized that no one woke me up for my watch, which really irritated me.<p>

_Why didn't they wake me up? _

Groaning I climbed out of the tent and saw that the sun was just now raising in the distance. Barely anyone was up yet, only Dale and Daryl were up, as they were the ones on watch. I stumbled over to them, crossing my arms. "Why didn't anyone wake me for my shift?" I asked with a yawn.

Dale glanced from me to Daryl before shrugging. I looked at Daryl, whose focus was anywhere but on me. "Daryl? Why did you take my shift?" I asked a politely as I could. He never answered, and I just assumed after five minutes of standing there, that he never would.

As I turned away, he said, "T-Dog asked me to wake you, but you were out like a light, so I just decided to do it. No big deal."

I turned back to him, and he was finally looking at me. "Well, thanks," I started, then Daryl looked away, "but if you ever do that again, I will kick your ass. If I say I'm gonna take someone's shift, I'm taking it."

I heard Dale chuckle as I turned away again and went back to the tent.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry this is so short! I need to make them more lengthy, I know. As of now though, these chapters are already pre-written and longer when I type them out in my word document. I will try to add more fluff to the chapters, I promise. And sorry my chapter titles are lame, but I'm not that creative when it comes to naming things...**

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**:)**


	4. The Chase

**Well, here's another chapter for y'all. **

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><p>Today was the day we were leaving camp, and everyone was getting packed and ready to go. It was still early, probably only around 8 AM, but everyone was itching to get out of here. We were still too close to Atlanta for anyone's liking, and sitting on the interstate was becoming dangerous.<p>

Everyone agreed that they would go with Emily and me to Savannah to find our father, which I was grateful for. My sister and I could have gotten there on our own, but with no vehicle and minimal supplies, it would have taken us a lot longer to reach the historic town.

Looking around I noticed that everyone was busy doing something, and it didn't look like anyone needed my help. Emily was helping Carol, Lori, and the kids look in the surrounding vehicles for things that we could use; Glenn, Rick and Shane were huddled together with a map trying to figure out how to get to Savannah; Andrea was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was in the RV; and I had no idea what T-Dog and Daryl were doing.

Since I couldn't find anything to do, I ended up taking out my weapons and checking to make sure I had everything cleaned and loaded up. I placed a towel on the hood of a car, before taking out the array of weapons Emily and I brought with us and placing them on top. The two Berettas with their two silencers, my hunting knife, my arrows for my crossbow, Emily's sawed off shotgun, and the Glock.

My dad always took pride in his weapons, it's something that he instilled in my sister and I, so I'll be damned if I let my father down by having shitty-looking weapons.

As I was cleaning my first Beretta, I heard a low whistle, and turned to be greeted by Dale. "Now that's a mighty fine piece of weaponry you've got there Kait," he said, leaning against the car.

Smiling at him I replied, "Well thanks, Dale. They're my dad's."

We sat there in silence for a moment, before we were joined by Shane and Rick. I noticed that Daryl was standing in the distance, once again fiddling with his crossbow, but occasionally glancing at what I was doing.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked, blowing some air into the barrel before placing it down next to the recoil spring. When I glanced back up at them, they were staring at the weapons laid out on the towel with awe. I don't think it was the weapons themselves that made the men slack jawed, but the fact that a woman was carrying and knew how to use these weapons.

Rolling my eyes, I chuckled at them before reassembling the Beretta with quick precision. Just as I was inserting the magazine I looked back up at them again.

They were staring at me, their mouths gaping. "Where the fuck did ya learn how to do that?" Shane asked, pointing at the Beretta in hand. "You assembled that thing in less than a minute!"

I looked at the Beretta, flicked the safety on, and replied, "My dad is an infantryman in the National Guard. Taught Em and I everything we know. He insisted we know every weapon he owned, inside and out."

"Well, damn. All I know is I'm glad y'all are on our side," Rick said with a grin.

"Glad to be here, Rick," Emily said, coming out of nowhere. She retrieved her rucksack, before coming to stand next to me. She grabbed her Glock from the towel, and began to take it apart.

The guys were still standing there, just watching us in action. "If you guys are this interested in us just cleaning these bad boys, just wait 'til you see us use them, then you'll really be impressed," I told them with a sly grin.

"We can do many impressive things, can't we Kait? Well, at least I know I can… especially in the sack," my sister said, completely straight faced.

"Emily!" I said with a chuckle.

She glanced up at Rick, who was looking anywhere but in our direction, then back at me.

"What? And I thought I was the one in need of getting laid, you on the other hand are wound tighter than the girdle of a Baptist minister's wife at an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast," Emily said, completely straight-faced.

I laughed at her, "Where the fuck did you hear that from?"

"I read it on a website a while back; don't judge me," she replied, sticking her tongue out at me.

Looking up at the men surrounding us, I saw they had hidden smiles on their faces. I even risked a glance over at Daryl and noticed he was trying to hide a grin, as well. My sister could be a complete idiot at times, but she sure made things a lot more entertaining.

"Well, I guess I should go uh… look out for walkers," Dale muttered, walking away towards the RV. Shane walked away as well, chuckling and shaking his head.

Rick still stood there with a grin gracing his lips, his head down, looking at the weapons still sprawled on the ground. "Holy shit, you guys brought grenades with you?"

"Fuck yes we did. Dad never let us experiment with these before, so there was no way I was leaving these behind!" Emily said grabbing one and tossing it back in forth between her hands.

"Which is why," I started, grabbing the grenade from her hand, "we shouldn't be playing with them, dumb shit."

She just rolled her eyes at me before focusing on her weapons again. She had her switchblade out, and was examining it closely. Our dad bought that for her for her 16th birthday and she hasn't let it out of her sight since.

Rick moved next to her, and reached for her Glock to examine it, while I decided to pack up my shit and find something to do. Emily was probably more than happy to see me leave anyways, so she can show off to Rick. I wonder about that girl sometimes, I don't think she knows what she's getting herself into.

Grabbing my crossbow, I started for the woods. I figured I might as well get some target practice in, since I was a little rusty and haven't had the time to practice since this apocalypse started.

I walked through the woods as quietly as I could, my trained ears alert for any movement. I was a good forty yards away from the camp when I felt the presence of something behind me. Getting a sense of déjà vu, I quickly turned around, crossbow up and ready, just to be face to face with Daryl.

"Is this going to become a habit, Dixon?" I asked him, lowering the crossbow. He said nothing, just stared at me. I sighed before turning around and starting my hunt again.

"I just…" Daryl started, before pausing and taking a deep breath. I turned around with a huff, jutting my hip out, and crossing my arms waiting for him to finish what he was going to say.

Biting the side of this thumb, he glanced up at me slowly, "Thanks for the food last night," he said before turning around and walking away. I stood there for a few moments just watching him walk away, running his hand through his hair.

_Men, I swear._

* * *

><p>All was silent as I crept deeper into the woods. A slight breeze ruffled my hair, and I hastily pushed it back out of my way. Crossbow at the ready, I continued tracking the white-tailed deer as it noiselessly maneuvered through the thick trees.<p>

Taking a step forward, a crack sounded through the silence and I froze. At first I thought I was the one to make the noise, but I quickly realized that wasn't the case. My gaze flicked through the surrounding trees, looking for any signs of walkers, seeing none.

The deer even stopped; head looking straight ahead, ears flicking back and forth, for a few moments before continuing towards its destination.

Quietly following, we got a few feet further before another loud crack sounded. Stopping once again, I tuned in to the world around me. Closing my eyes, I listened for any other noise to present itself.

I heard the sound of my own breathing, leaves slightly blowing across the wooded floor, but not much else. Hell, I didn't even hear any birds chirping in the trees.

When the birds weren't even making noise, it was not a good sign. Something was out there, I just didn't know where.

I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings again. The deer still stood where it had been before, ears still flicking back and forth and nose twitching. Once again, there was another crack, this time closer than the previous two times.

I heard them before they even came into sight. I heard the shuffling of their feet against the solid ground, and the grunts and moans coming out of their dislocated, oozing mouths.

They were on the deer before I, or the deer, could even process what was happening. The noise that came out of the deer mouth was unlike anything I have heard before. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene before me; the deer fighting to get away, but to no avail. There were six walkers crowding around the fallen deer, tearing into its flesh, blood spewing everywhere.

I've never seen anything like this in my entire life, and it scared the shit out of me. The walkers were making a noise of satisfaction as they tore into the flesh of the animal, pulling at it with their teeth and hands.

The pained noises of the deer were slowly stopping as its intestines were being pulled from its carcass.

My eyes were forced away from the scene in front of me, as I heard more shuffling and groaning coming towards the others. I quietly stepped away from the tree I had hid myself behind, but not before falling over a branch I didn't even see. Cursing, I risked a glance at the growing horde of walkers a few feet in front of me.

They were looking around the woods, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. I sat there frozen in place for a few moments before the feeding walkers went back to their meal. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I slowly got up and made sure there weren't any more branches I could trip over, before hurrying back in the direction of camp.

I had to warn the others that a horde was coming towards the camp, and that we needed to leave as soon as possible.

I was about two miles outside of camp, but I ran. I couldn't risk taking my time when the walkers were so close. I heard another branch crack behind me, and turned to see two walkers shuffling as fast as they could behind me.

_Jesus fucking Christ_.

Surely the two coming after me would in turn make the horde follow after them.

I stopped, turning towards them as they came towards me. My crossbow at the ready, I aimed and shot one of the walkers right between the eyes. It fell to the ground, as the other one continued to barrel towards me.

Even though I should have started running back towards camp, I knew I couldn't risk even one following me. So, I ran towards the oncoming walker full speed, grabbing another arrow and fastening it into the crossbow at the same time.

It was five feet in front of me when I released the arrow, missing its forehead and instead lodging itself into its neck. Stumbling, it still came towards me. I didn't have time to reload my weapon when it crashed into me.

It landed on top of me, jaws snapping as it tried to bite into my flesh. I held it by its shoulders at a distance, as its vile breath blew on my face. There was no way I was going to allow it to bite me, no matter how tired my arms were getting as I tried to push the heavy undead body away from me. I didn't scream, knowing that if I did more walkers would come for sure.

Struggling, I grabbed the arrow out of its throat and slammed it into the side of the walkers head. It was still moving, but not as wild, so I yanked the arrow out before jamming it into the walker's forehead instead. It stopped moving and I shoved it off me in disgust.

Blood from the neck puncture, as well as the head ones, were all over my chest. It was the most disgusting feeling.

Groaning, I lifted myself off the ground and retrieved my crossbow off the ground. I quickly inspected it to make sure there was no damage. Satisfied, I reached towards the officially dead walker and pulled out the bloodied arrow and wiped it on my pants. I placed it back in the quiver before moving to the other dead walker and grabbing the other one. I cleaned that one off as best as I could, put it in place, and then started running back to the camp.

I didn't hear anything else following me the whole way back, but that didn't mean nothing was coming.

As I neared closer to the camp, I heard Carl and Sophia laughing, as well as the others talking. I broke through the surrounding trees and ran up to the others. My breathing was labored as I bent over grasping my knees. Running two miles definitely wasn't what I wanted to be doing today.

"Kait, are you okay?" Emily asked, rushing to my side. I looked up, hands still on my knees, trying to get my breathing back to normal. The others were soon crowding around us, concerned looks on their faces.

"Walkers," I breathed out, "In the woods. Coming this way."

I stood up straight, taking a deep breath before continuing, "We need to leave, now. They're about two miles away, if not closer, they attacked the fucking deer I was tracking."

"Shit," Rick said, his hands rubbing his face absentmindedly. "Alright everyone, grab all your stuff and load up. We're getting out of here before…"

A loud crack sounded through the air, as someone or something made its way closer to the camp.

Everyone's breathing stopped in an instant, and just stared towards the trees. Carol grabbed for Sophia, who hugged her mother close. Carl was behind his father with Lori close behind him. I raised my loaded crossbow, and everyone else raised their weapons as well.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. It felt like an eternity standing there waiting for whatever it was to come crashing into camp.

_Any second now_.

There was no noise except for the heavy breathing of the group. I readjusted my grip on the crossbow, anxious to let an arrow fly in the direction of the oncoming walker.

Sweat rolled down the side of my face, as I tried my best to be patient.

Suddenly, a figure broke through the trees.


	5. Surprise

Hey guys!

Sorry it's been so long, I've just been busy trying to get shit done around here.

I'm going back home to Pennsylvania on Thursday, and I probably won't be able to update for a week, so I wanted to get something out for y'all!

R&R, please!

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Mini Recap:<strong>

_There was no noise except for the heavy breathing of the group. I readjusted my grip on the crossbow, anxious to let an arrow fly in the direction of the oncoming walker._

_Sweat rolled down the side of my face, as I tried my best to be patient._

_Suddenly, a figure broke through the trees._

* * *

><p>"Glenn! What the hell?" Emily screeched, lowering her weapon as the Korean boy came into view. He was busy twirling the object he had in his hand, not noticing the surrounding people with raised weapons.<p>

He glanced up, dropping the object and then took a step back, fear clearly etched on his face. "Whoa, whoa!" he practically yelled, hands up in surrender. Everyone lowered their weapons and let out the breath they had been holding.

"Jesus Christ, Glenn. We thought you were a damned walker," T-Dog explained, putting his baseball bat down.

"What do you mean, you thought I was a walker! You guys almost put bullets into my skull!" he said, dramatically flailing his arms.

"Kait was in the woods about two miles back and said that a horde of walkers was coming this way. We thought you were one of 'em," Shane explained nonchalantly.

Glenn looked over at me, the fear back on his face. "Are you serious?" he questioned. I nodded my head mumbling, "Surprise," before turning around and going towards my stuff.

"We need to get out of here, it's only a matter of time before those damned things find their way here," I called over my shoulder. I heard muttered agreements, and then people started racing around to get their belongings in order.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked, coming up behind me. I looked over my shoulder at her, smiling as big as possible.

"Yeah, everything's fine," I said. She obviously didn't believe a word coming out of my mouth, and I didn't expect her to. She's been around me long enough to know when I'm telling the truth and when I'm full of bullshit.

"Kaitlyn, don't lie to me. What happened out there?" she prodded. I opened my mouth to start talking, but stopped as someone approached us. It was Daryl, and he looked around the camp to see everyone hurrying about, a curious look on his face.

"What's with e'ryone movin' like they got a fire under their asses for?" he asked, eyes still following members of the group. Glancing up at him, I noticed he once again was chewing on his thumb.

"Kaitlyn here was in the woods about two miles up, and spotted a horde of goddamned walkers coming this way. We heard a noise in the trees, thought it was walkers, but turned out to be Glenn. And now I'm trying to figure out what the hell happened to my sister because she is looking awfully pale and…"

"Damn, you both ramble don't 'cha?" Daryl mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"Yes, asshole, we do. Now if you excuse..." I didn't hear the rest of what my sister was saying.

There was a ringing in my ears, and my vision was going in and out as I swayed back and forth. I reached out and grabbed on to the nearest thing to me, and tried to regain my balance. The arm was sweaty and muscular, and definitely not my sister. At the moment I didn't even care, I just needed to stay balanced. A warm hand grabbed my arm and another, my waist, as the person tried to keep me standing.

"I need to sit down," I muttered, collapsing to the ground. The warm hands slowly lifted off of me as I sat there, my head in between my knees.

"Here, drink some water," Emily said, thrusting a canteen into my face. I took it from her and brought it to my parched lips and took a deep drink. The water felt nice against my throat, and cooled the warmness in my stomach. Before I even knew it, the canteen was empty but I still felt as if I could drink more.

"Damn, she's prolly dehydrated," a male voice said above me. Blinking I looked up at where the voice was coming from and saw Daryl standing there, an almost nonexistent, yet concerned look on his face, and he was illuminated in sunlight.

He grabbed the canteen that was strapped across him and offered it to me. I took it from him, unscrewed the cap and chugged down the water that was inside. After everything in it was gone, I pulled it away, wiping my hand across my lips.

I lay back on the ground, my arms propping up my head and closed my eyes. I slowed down my breathing and tried to relax as much as possible. I sat there for a few minutes before remembering the horde of walkers coming this way.

"Shit," I mumbled, jumping up off the ground. I swayed back and forth a little bit, but with the help of Daryl, I was standing straight again. "We need to get our shit and go now, we've already wasted too much time," I said, grabbing my rucksack.

Emily nodded her head at me and grabbed her own rucksack, before heading off to where the others were. Running a hand through my disheveled hair, I looked back over at Daryl who was still standing there.

"Are ya alright?" he asked quietly.

Putting on the best smile I could muster up I replied, "Yeah, just fine. Thanks."

He nodded his head and started towards his belongings.

Rubbing my temples I looked around the camp, seeing everyone hustling to get everything packed into the RV, the jeep, and truck.

It was only a matter of time before those walkers showed up, we need to get out of here right the fuck now.

"Guys, are y'all ready to go? I'm getting an anxious feeling, and that is never good," I said, raising my voice a little so everyone could hear me.

They all looked around each other before nodding in agreement. Everyone that could fit began getting into the RV. Carl, Sophia, Rick, Lori, Carol, Andrea, Emily and Dale were packing into the cramped space, and I knew there would be no room in there for me. Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn piled into the jeep, meaning that I would have to ride with Daryl.

I placed my Berettas into their holsters, making sure that I never left without them again, and grabbed my crossbow.

I was skeptical of riding with hot-tempered redneck because I knew the guy didn't like me much, even if he did help me a few minutes ago. I trudged over to where he was packing his remaining belongings next to a motorcycle in the back of the truck and stood next to him.

He glanced over at me, then at the other vehicles before offering me a hand. I looked at him quizzically, and he rolled his eyes and took my rucksack from my hands before placing it next to his own things.

Biting my lip, I turned and made my way to the other side of the truck and climbed in the passenger seat.

* * *

><p>We have been on the road for a few hours now, stopping every so often for bathroom breaks and to stretch our legs, and we were finally making some headway on this trip to Savannah. I was anxious to get there and find my dad. I just know he is alive; he is a survivor, it's what he does. I just only hope I can survive this life because a few hours ago, it could have ended very badly for me. I don't ever want to cut it that close ever again, it is just too risky.<p>

Resting my head against the inside of the truck, I closed my eyes to try and stop some of the vertigo I was experiencing. Never before have had I had this problem, but I guess when you don't eat or drink anything all day and then turn around and run two miles, it really takes a toll on a person's body.

"You doin' alright over there?" Daryl asked quietly. Cracking open my eyes, I looked over at him.

"Yeah," I replied stifling a yawn. I sat up a little straighter in the seat and glanced out the window, taking in the surroundings. The sun was high in the sky, not a cloud in sight. It's amazing how perfect the weather could be, even if the world had gone to shit.

"Thanks, by the way," I said glancing to where Daryl was sitting. One hand on the wheel, and his eyes trained on the road he sat there chewing on his thumb. A habit that I've noticed he does when he's glancing at everyone around camp, or in an uncomfortable situation.

"For what?" he questioned, his eyes finally leaving the road and looking at me.

"For helping me out back there when you could have just let me fall or something. For someone who claims to not have feelings, you seemed pretty concerned to me," I said with a chuckle.

Getting more comfortable in the seat, I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my head across my folded arms.

"I wasn't just gonna let ya fall, Kait. And…" he paused, "I do actually have feelings. Just don' really show them to anyone."

Furrowing my eyebrows I asked him, "Why is that? I mean, I've noticed that most people like, shun you, or something. I just don't understand."

Sighing, he rubbed his free hand across his jaw before speaking again. "When my brother was in the camp, he was an arrogant sumbitch and I s'pose everyone thought I was too. Then when I heard he was left behind in Atlanta I got so fuckin' pissed…"

"And you flipped out. Yeah, I heard. But still, that's no reason for anyone to hate you. Hell, if it weren't for you these people would be living off of canned beans for the rest of their damned lives," I said, gesturing my hands wildly.

"Why do ya even care?" he questioned. I stared at him for a while, noticing how he wouldn't look in my direction.

"Everyone needs to have someone to care for them," I mumbled. "Including you."

* * *

><p>Please don't hurt me, I know it's short and I'm sorry. Next time will be longer, I promise.<p>

How did you like the bit 'o bonding?


	6. Small Town USA

**Hey guys! It's been MONTHS since I've updated (that's horrible!) and I apologize that it's so short, but I wanted to get something out to y'all before the show starts on SUNDAY! Be sure to read the A/N at the end! Thanks y'all!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Recap<span>:**

"Why do ya even care?" he questioned. I stared at him for a while, noticing how he wouldn't look in my direction.

"Everyone needs to have someone to care for them," I mumbled. "Including you."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Small Town USA<strong>

We managed to come across a small town about 4 hours before the sun was to set. The town itself looked abandoned, but we all knew that somewhere walkers would be shuffling amuck, they always were.

The RV pulled in front of, what looked to me like a cabin of some sort. It was in a pretty secluded part of the town and hopefully one of the safer places to stay the night.

Daryl put the truck in park and got out. I followed his example by climbing out of the truck and grabbing my crossbow out of the back. I met the rest of the group outside of the RV where everyone seemed to automatically accumulate.

"So, were gonna do a sweep of the house first, then Daryl and Kait, if you could assist T-Dog, Glenn, and I by going to town that would be great," Rick said. I nodded my head in approval of the plan then looked to Daryl who did his usual grunt in response.

We needed to move quickly since daylight was fading, but it felt as if everyone was taking their sweet time. I stood there impatiently, tapping my foot on the cracked pavement, wishing Rick would hurry the hell up. The sooner we left, the sooner we could come back and get some much needed sleep.

Not that we would even come across a whole lot of anything, considering how tiny this town was. I'm sure most people could blink and pass by the town without even realizing it; but the smaller the town, the less likely there will be a lot of walkers.

Finally, Rick and the others began to make their way towards me after coming out of the cleared cabin.

"Jesus, about damned time," I started, "I don't know if you've noticed or anything but – it's getting dark and we still have yet to make sure there are no walkers running around trying to snack on us, or found any food for us for that matter."

"Kait, just shut the hell up," Shane said as he stomped past me. I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. "No one asked you, _ese_."

He's such an asshole, but at least he's helping to keep everyone safe. I had heard about how before Rick reconnected with his wife and son, Shane was the man in charge. He kept the group safe, and they were quite a big group back then. After an attack on their previous camp, many of the people died and a few had left on their own, and that's when they went in search of the CDC.

I had heard some rumors from the guys that Shane and Lori had a secret relationship going on when Rick wasn't around. That sickened me. I mean, who hooks up with their husbands best friend and partner weeks after his _supposed_ death? That's just fucked up.

No one made a sound as we traveled through the seemingly desolate town of Hixon. We were walking beside each other in a straight line with our weapons raised in precaution. I was standing on the end next to T-Dog, my crossbow in position. After a few minutes we reached a fork in the road and Rick motioned for Daryl, Glen, and I to go down the left side, while him and T-Dog went down the right.

Windows were busted of out various buildings, most of them being small office buildings. After walking a few feet I noticed a mini mart on the corner. I signaled to Daryl and Glenn, who just nodded and followed me.

"I'm gonna go in real quick and see if I can find anything useful, alright?" I whispered.

Glenn nodded his head before turning his attention to the road ahead. Daryl had his usual glare on his face and stared at me coldly. I'm not really sure why I was waiting for his permission to continue, but I did anyways. Reluctantly, he nodded in my direction giving me the go ahead.

A small smile appeared on my face before I once again got my crossbow in position and entered the store through the broken glass door. I wasn't expecting to find much, figuring that most of the edible food would have been cleared out a long time ago. There were various objects scattered on the floor and I did my best to avoid stepping on anything, just in case one of the undead was in there somewhere. My eyes scanned the aisles not finding much. Luckily though, I did manage to find some medical supplies – Tylenol, gauze, band aids, rubbing alcohol, etc.

After stuffing that stuff in my rucksack, I picked my crossbow back up and continued through the store. I picked up some canned goods that I found, and to my amusement I grabbed some condoms and KY gel. Hey, you never know when a situation could arise! That stuff could come in handy one of these cold winter nights that are bound to pop up eventually.

I started to make my way to the front of the store figuring that Daryl and Glenn were getting anxious waiting out there as the light started to fade. I accidently ran into a display while trying to look for anything else, knocking it over on the ground. It made a loud noise and I grimaced, hoping that it didn't attract anything from outside. I jumped over the mess I made as I started towards the front again.

I successfully made it outside to see a jumpy Glenn and a pissed Daryl, but what else is new.

"Did you find anything?" Glenn asked, hopeful. I smiled as I told him about the medical supplies and food that I managed to find. He seemed happy with the answer and started to make his way back down the street in the direction that we came. I sighed then glanced over at the hunter. He was waiting for me to go so he could follow behind and keep an eye out for anything possibly coming behind us.

I slowed my pace a bit so that I was walking next to Daryl. He gave me that '_what the hell are you doing' _look and I simply gave him a shrewd smile.

"So, how's the big bad hunter doing on this fine evening?" I asked, earning a scoff from Daryl. There was a few moments of silence before he answered, "I'd be better if you weren't here."

Feigning shock, I stopped and gave him a look. "I should take offence to that, _but_," I said dragging out the word, "I don't."

Daryl scoffed again while his eyes moved back in forth, keeping a look out for any of the undead. "One day, Daryl, one day," I started as I walked past him, "One day you won't be able to resist me, I know it."

With a smirk I continued in the direction that Glenn had gone, hoping to see Rick and T-Dog coming back with good news. Lord knows that these people need some good news.

I quickly looked over my shoulder to see Daryl standing in the same spot that I left him in, a look of thought on his face. Chuckling slightly, I rolled my eyes and continued on my way.

I caught up with Glenn at the spot where we were to wait for Rick and T-Dog. Throwing my arm over his shoulder I asked, "How ya doing, kid? You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted, Kait. You have no idea," Glenn groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. "And I have watch again tonight, it's gonna be a bitch."

"Well, why don't I fill in for you tonight? I have yet to do it and I know you're always stuck up there."

The biggest smile ever appeared on Glenn's face and he looked like the kid that he was supposed to be. The apocalypse, or whatever it is that has happened, has taken a toll on everyone, but it's the kids that are affected the most. I realize that I'm probably not much older than Glenn is, but I just feel like he has a purer heart.

I had to grow up fast – Emily and I both did. We didn't have a mother, or a father for the most part. It was always us and our grandparents and most of the time, even with them, we had to take care of ourselves. Our grandparents helped a lot, but there were just some things that they could not be there for.

After a few minutes, Daryl finally showed up. He saw my arm wrapped around Glenn's shoulders and Glenn's arm wrapped around my waist, and glared. He always glares at people, but this one was different. It was almost possessive.

So he doesn't want me around, but he gets jealous when he sees me hanging on Glenn? He is a confusing person.

Finally, T-Dog and Rick showed up. They were empty handed, which was a bit disappointing, but I figured this town didn't have too much to offer. I was surprised, however, to not see any walkers. I mean, I know this town is small, but there should have at least been some walkers roaming around.

Shaking off the suspicious feeling, I turned to the boys with a smile. "Are we ready to go boys? I know ya'll have to be tired, it's been a long day."

They all nodded in agreement and started walking in the direction of camp. I kissed Glenn's cheek and ruffled his hair before skipping after Rick and T-Dog.

I wasn't paying attention, so I was shocked when I ran into a solid back. T-Dog was stopped, as was Rick. Looking around them I saw three walkers shuffling their way towards us. Rick pulled out his gun and had it aimed and ready. "Rick," I said, putting my hand on his forearm, "that will make too much noise. Don't waste the ammo." As he lowered the gun, I stepped in front of him and got my crossbow ready. I noticed Daryl stepped up beside me as well, his crossbow aimed and ready.

With perfect precision, I shot a walker right in the forehead. It landed with a thud at the same time as the one beside it that Daryl had gotten. My competitiveness had me hurrying to reload my crossbow before Daryl had a chance to reload his. With a triumphant smile, I had the last one shot before the infamous hunter could even get his reloaded. I shot a smirk in his direction, noticing that he had a scowl on his face.

Surprise, surprise.

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder; it was Rick. He had a small grin on his face, knowing that I was happy at successfully beating Daryl. Smirking back, I followed him as he once again started towards camp.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

Good lord, I really am terrible at this updating thing aren't I? I apologize, but my schedule is really busy at the moment! College is kicking my ass this semester and the work is a lot harder and more time consuming than it was last year. It doesn't help that I can't seem to focus solely on this story either. I have so many ideas for different ones running through my head that I just have to get written out.

I am hoping that since the show starts up again in a few days that more inspiration will come to me! *Fingers crossed* I hope that you enjoyed the little update that I provided and I promise I will try my hardest to update this again SOON! It's not fair for you to have to wait this long, I know. And I hope that it is still interesting for you to read! I'm trying to come up with some interesting plot twists for you lovely readers, but coming up with the idea and executing it are two completely different things.

Anyways, REVIEW and let me know what you think! If you thought it sucked, let me know! Some criticism may get my ass back into gear! I'll update as soon as I can and enjoy the season premiere this **Sunday at 9 on AMC**!


	7. Bipolar

**Well, here ya go! I actually like this chapter a lot, so I hope you do too! Thanks guys!**

**Oh, and what do y'all think of the new season so far? It's awesome! **

**However, Carol is annoying the crap out of me... (I don't like her too much).**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Bipolar<strong>

_Emily's Point of View:_

The camp was quiet. We've been here for two days, resting and forming a plan of action. There was no wind, no crickets; nothing.

Rick and I were sitting on the top of the RV, watching over the camp while they slept either inside, in the RV, or in Daryl's case, in a tent outside, as far away from everyone else as possible. I decided this was my shot to get to know Rick, so I took it, even though Kait fought with me until she got tired of my stubborn attitude.

"So…" I started, looking anywhere but at his face. When I'm surrounded by other people flirting comes easy, but when it's just me and the person I'm crushing on, I am a bumbling idjit.

Rick looked over at me, a slight smile on his face, "How are you doing, Emily?"

I felt myself redden under his gaze; thankfully it was dark outside, just one lantern beside us. "Good, good; well, considering the situation," I replied. He nodded in response, playing with the wedding band adorning his finger.

"What about you, how are you doing? And Lori and Carl; are they holding up okay?"

"Good, good; considering the situation," he said, mocking me. I slapped him playfully on the shoulder and let out a laugh. He smiled at me as well, but after a few seconds, his smile faltered and was replaced with a slight frown.

Placing my hand on his shoulder I asked, "Are you sure?"

He lowered his head, the silence becoming overwhelming. "I just… I feel like Lori is keeping something from me. It's probably stupid, but I've worked with a lot of people and can tell when they aren't being completely honest." He sighed and got up, walking to the edge of the RV roof. He wiped his hands over his face, and then rested his hands on his hips.

I've heard the gossip around the camp. I knew that before Rick's return, Shane and Lori had a secret thing going on. I couldn't tell him that though, there is no way.

"I'm sure everything is fine, Rick."

He turned back to me, "You're probably right. But she is acting strange, but considering the situation I can't blame her."

Silence again. Rick returned back to his seat, then turned to face me. "So, what was life like before all of…this?" he gestured his hands, "I'm sure you had a lot of friends and a boyfriend…"

I scoffed at the last part. Rubbing my hands on my jeans I replied, "Well yeah, I had plenty of friends. No steady boyfriend though. But other than that, life was just… normal. Work, home, party - that's pretty much it."

He nodded his head in understanding, but said nothing else.

"Is there any hope for us, Rick?" I mumbled. "I mean, do you think this is how life is going to be from now on?"

I turned so that I was facing him as he sat beside me on top of an overturned plastic crate. His gun was rested in his lap, his elbows placed on his knees, face in hands. The silence lasted so long, I didn't think he was ever going to answer me.

"I think," he paused, "as cliché as it sounds, everything happens for a reason. Regardless of how hard you fight against it or run from it; it's still going to happen. And I'm not saying that you should stop fighting to survive, but you need to work with the cards you're dealt." He paused again, unsure of his next words.

"As far as us going back to what we were, I don't see that happening any time soon. Unless there is some miracle cure, which I doubt - this is our life now. The cards have been dealt and you can either fold or keep playing, it's your choice."

The clearing of someone's throat interrupted the conversation.

Looking up, I saw Dale standing there. "Just coming to cover for you, Emily. You must be tired." I nodded my head in agreement, realizing that the sun would be rising in a few hours.

I stood up and looked down at Rick who was staring into the open. I stopped in front of him on my way over to the ladder, "Ya know, I happen to be quite good at card games," I smirked before walking away.

* * *

><p><em>Kait's Point of View:<em>

I woke up to the sound of Emily climbing into her awaiting sleeping bag. Not that I was really sleeping; I never usually do.

My mind is constantly racing with thoughts of the past, or thought of things to come.

Constantly, I questioned whether running after my dad was the right choice. He left us, just like he always does to go fight for other people. Not once has he ever stayed home to fight for his family - not when mom died, not when gram or pap died, not when my sister and I were left on our own at the age of 17. He would always run off to go fight in other people's wars, but ran away from his own.

I can't help but think that dragging all of these people across the state with me was a bad idea, as well. They're already trying so hard to survive, who's to say that bringing them with me would make that any easier? They've already been running for so long, I know that each time they have to move to another place takes a toll on them, especially the kids.

Sighing, I rolled around in my sleeping bag. Emily's breathing had evened out, so I knew she was asleep.

The sun would be up soon, I imagined, so I decided to face the day at hand. As quietly as I could, I got dressed and unzipped the tent, stepping out into the relatively cool morning. The camp was still quiet and it would be for another hour or so.

With my crossbow in hand, I started for the woods – my comfort zone.

There's just something about the woods that soothes me. The only sound being the animals skittering through the shrubbery and birds twittering in the trees.

After walking for a good five minutes, I came to the small creek that we have been using for water. Sitting down on the boulder near it, I sighed in content. Through the trees, the sun was just peaking in the horizon and the sky was turning a pretty shade of pinkish orange.

My thoughts drifted back to the plan of reaching Savannah. What if my dad isn't even there? Or worse, what if he was one of those goddamned walkers? All of this searching would have been for no damned reason.

Over the past few days, I had grown to like this dysfunctional group. I didn't want to leave them behind, but I knew it was the best for them if I just went on my own.

I wouldn't drag Emily along with me either. She deserved some stability and happiness, at least for a little while. Stability and happiness we never tangible, but for the moment, she could at least pretend.

I would just go to Savannah, see if my dad was even there, and then come back and find the group again.

Yes, that would work. I just needed to find the right time to leave…

"You're up early," I gruff voice said from behind me. I whipped my crossbow behind me out of instinct, but reluctantly brought it back to my side.

It was just Daryl.

Sighing, I ran my hands through my hair and stared at the sunrise. "Yeah," I replied.

He came up beside me, leaning his hip against the boulder I was sitting on.

"What's goin' on in that head of yours, girl?" he questioned. I saw him looking at me out of the corner of my eye, but I still stared straight ahead.

"Just… things," I mumbled.

He scoffed at me, "Just things?"

I shrugged in response.

Usually, I would make a snarky comeback, but there was just too much on my mind.

"Hey Kait," Daryl said, facing away from me.

"Yeah," I replied nonchalantly.

There was silence for a few moments and I could see Daryl contemplating how to ask me whatever question he was thinking of.

"Are, um, you like, bipolar, or somethin'?" he seriously asked.

I chuckled loudly and turned towards him. His face had a serious look on it - no surprise there.

"You're seriously asking me that?" I chuckled again.

He looked at me as if I was crazy.

"Nevermind," he grumbled.

I chuckled once more before finally answering his question, "No, I'm not bipolar. At least… I was never actually diagnosed."

"Well then, what's wrong with you?" he asked.

I sighed loudly, before answering: "I'm leaving, Daryl."

Before he could answer, I continued, "I can't bear the thought of dragging everyone on my wild goose chase. I'm just gonna go to Savannah, try and find my dad, and then come back to you guys. I know everyone will be against it, but I don't care. I'm gonna leave in the early morning when everyone's asleep… and I have no idea why I am confessing my plan to you right now because I know you're just gonna try and stop me too. Well, maybe..."

This earned me a chuckle from the stoic hunter, making me stop my rant.

"You never shut your fucking mouth, do ya?" he smirked.

I shrugged my shoulder, my own smirk adorning my face, but kept my mouth shut.

"Ha, ha, fucking ha," he said a few moments later, after he realized what just happened.

"I'm sorry, but not really," I smiled.

I was surprised that we had yet to start fighting, that's pretty much a miracle. I didn't mind though, it was quite nice being able to have a civil conversation with him.

"You're right though, I'm not letting you leave by yourself," he grumbled.

Well, so much for the civil conversation – It was too good to be true.

"You don't have to let me do anything. I'm going to do it regardless of what you say," I said hopping off the boulder.

The sun had risen completely, the tranquil environment totally gone.

As I went to walk around him, he grabbed my arm. "You know what's out there, Kait. Why would you want to go out there alone?"

"I'm doing you all a favor, all right? There's no point in risking everyone's lives just to find my father. You guys can continue on as normal and try to find a place to settle down, or whatever it is y'all are trying to accomplish out here. I'm better off on my own anyways."

I sighed before yanking my arm out of his grip and heading back to camp.

So much for not being bipolar.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, okay, drama. <strong>

**I wonder what will happen next... **

**Will Kait leave on her own in search of her father? Will Daryl stop her? **

**Hmm, I don't know. We'll see.**

**Anyways, thank you so much for taking the time to read this!**

**You should definitely review this for me that way I know you're still interested in this!**

**:)**


	8. Plan In Motion

Thanks so much for waiting so patiently for this next chapter! Things should finally be set in motion for Emily and Kait's adventure to Savannah after this!

I just wanted to remind everyone that I am in no way affiliated with any cast member, crew member, or writer from _The Walking Dead_. I just love the show and characters a lot! I, however, do not own any of the characters besides my own - Emily and Kait.

So, enjoy! Hopefully it's not too disappointing!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Plan In Motion<strong>

By the time I reached camp everyone was awake and doing their daily chores. I rushed right through the camp without looking at anyone and went to my tent. Frustrated, I started throwing my stuff into my rucksack, not noticing there was someone standing before the opening of the tent.

"What are you doing?"

Closing my eyes, I breathed out of my nose, before turning to see Carl standing there.

Smiling as best as I could I shrugged, "Nothing. Just packing some things up."

"Why?" he asked, shifting from foot to foot.

I didn't know what to say to him. I mean, I can't tell him that I am planning to leave because then he would just run off and tell Rick and Shane and then my plan would surely go down the shitter. Then again, I spilled the beans to Daryl, who will probably tell them anyways, so I guess it doesn't even matter.

"Carl…" I sighed, sitting back on my haunches and moving my hair behind my ears.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" he questioned. I didn't have the courage to say anything so I just nodded my head.

"I have to, kid. The thought of dragging you and everyone else across the state with walkers everywhere… if something bad were to happen, I just couldn't have that guilt eating away at me."

"That's complete bullshit, Kait," Carl burst. I was shocked at the cursing that came out of that kid's mouth, but decided to keep my thoughts to myself. "My dad said we would help you find your father and that's what we're going to do.

There was silence for a few moments before I heard him sigh and stomp away.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later I was still in my tent, hesitant about what I was deciding to do. As I was lost in my thoughts, I heard a shuffling of feet behind me.<p>

"Daryl!" I all but yelled when I realized it was him. "You should know better than to sneak around like that. I thought you were a fucking walker. Jesus Christ."

He crossed his arms, smirking at my outburst. "So over dramatic," he mumbled.

"What do you want?" I sighed ignoring his comment and climbing out of my tent.

His mood changed from amused, back to it's normal angsty self. "Yer not goin' out there on your own Kait. No way in hell," he growled out.

"Daryl," I groaned. "I can't let you guys come with me. It's too much traveling for everyone and I can't risk getting any of you killed."

"He's right Kait. We're not gonna let you go," Rick said, appearing out of nowhere. "And it doesn't matter what you want. You can't feel guilty about a decision that we all agreed on."

Shane and T-Dog came to stand on either side of their leader, arms folded in a threatening manner. "If you wanna leave, you're gonna have to get through us first," T-Dog said, flexing his crossed arms.

I tried my best to glare at them and appear threatening, but the truth was, they were way better at it than me. I could run if I wanted, but I knew there was no point. I wouldn't have gotten very far anyways if I did manage to get some leeway. I heard from the others that Daryl was the best tracker in, well probably all, of Georgia. He would have found me within the hour.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized my plan was ridiculous. I wouldn't last out there on my own for too long, especially if I ran into a horde of walkers. I would have either been eaten by them or gone crazy from being alone for too long in the heat with little food and water.

I needed these people and even though I haven't known them for very long, I realized: they needed me too.

"Shit," I muttered, giving in.

* * *

><p>Walking towards the center of camp, my sister all but charged at me. "What the hell is your problem, Kait? What did you just expect to get up and leave without anyone noticing? Fuck that. God, you can be so stubborn and…"<p>

"Jesus, Em – you done?" I questioned.

"It's must be a family thing," I heard Daryl mutter to himself, causing an inevitable smirk to appear on my face.

My sister sighed loudly before, too, smirking, "For now, I guess. God, you're such a bitch."

I pulled her in for a hug and chuckled, "Takes one to know one, sis."

For the corner of my eye I saw Carl walk over and stand next to his father. Letting go of Emily, I went to him.

"Hey, Carl! Thanks for pointing out my _bullshit_ earlier," I laughed, emphasizing the curse word. His face flushed red as he glanced up at his father. He had a questioning look in his eyes, but I just shrugged it off. There are more important things to worry in this zombie hell than a kid cussing.

"Right then," Rick said, getting back in his leader role. "Kait, can we use your map to figure out how we're getting to Savannah?"

I nodded quickly before once again climbing into my tent. Moments later I emerged clutching an overused Georgia map in my hands, "Got it. Let's get down to business." I chuckled at my _Mulan_ humor, but no one else seemed to get it. _Hmph, figures._

* * *

><p>"Alright, so the main interstates all lead to Atlanta and then go east," I said pointing to the map. "Obviously that's not gonna work, so we'll be sticking to the smaller highways and smaller towns."<p>

The men surrounding me all nod their heads as they studied the map laid out on the hood of a nearby car. My eyes followed the map, trying to judge which route would be the best to take. "We're in this town here, Suwanee*, so I'm thinking we take I-85 down to route 316 and follow that to Athens," I dragged my finger along the course. "From there we'll head south on 129 then hop on to 441. We'll pass by a town called Dublin where we can get right back on to I-75, taking us right into Savannah."

I looked at the men still studying the map. It was going to take us at least a week, maybe longer to reach the coast. Considering our vehicles aren't the most trustworthy and who knows what we'll run unto, this was merely a give or take estimate.

Daryl looked up shifting his crossbow to a more comfortable position, "Could be a good plan, except if we stick to the highways the whole time we could run into more hordes."

I looked back down at the map. There was the Oconee River that leads near Athens, meaning we would be close to a water source for over half of the trip, but who knows what kind of terrain is out there. "But who knows what we'll run into if we don't." I started. "At least on the highways we can see far enough in front of us to give us some time if we should run into walkers."

Daryl simply shrugged in response. I looked towards Shane and Rick for input, but they seemed to be in their own argument about which route was better to take. "Kait makes a good point, but so does Daryl," Rick said.

"We should stick to the highways for now," Shane finally spoke. It seems like forever since he last did. "At least that way we'll be able to swap parts for the RV and trucks if we need to."

Shane looked around to the rest of us. Everyone nodded in agreement, well, except for Daryl of course. I understood he liked to stick to the woods, since that's where he felt most comfortable, but the highways should have a more direct route.

Hopefully.

In this apocalypse shit hole we're living in, who knows what's out there anymore.

"Alright then," started Rick. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. For now, let's start gathering all the supplies we can."

Rick, Shane, Daryl, and I split apart and went off to get ready for the run back into town. On my way back to my tent to retrieve my guns, I couldn't help but feel a flutter of apprehension fill my gut. I was thrilled that my plan to find my father was finally getting a jump start again and that I had this pseudo-family to come along with me, but something still didn't sit right.

I had a strange feeling we were going to run into some problems along the way, I just had no clue how dangerous they were going to be.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

Hey guys! I know, it has been forever (over a freaking year, I can't believe this!) and I am terribly sorry. Life is difficult and inspiration is lacking, you know the drill.

Anyways, if you're not too pissed that I kept you waiting so long, be sure to review! Yell at me if you wish, it doesn't matter! - as long as I hear from y'all I will be a happy camper!

*So a few chapters ago I mentioned that the gang was in a town named Hixon, well unfortunately that town does not exist in Georgia! I decided that I wanted to stick to real names of places so that way you can look up a map of Georgia and follow the gang on their journey if you wish! Suwanee is a real town in the Duluth area and the map directions that I mentioned in the story are (to the best of my knowledge) correct. So, from now on the names of places that the gang stop at will be real places! Not that I've been to any of them, but that's besides the point!

Thank you again everyone for waiting patiently, it means a lot! Please review and feel free to PM me with any questions, concerns, or hell - even some ideas for the story! I am all ears, well, eyes, considering... oh never mind.

3


	9. Distractions

Hey guys, how are you? I apologize once again for taking so long to update! This is sort of just a 'meh' filler chapter, but I hope it will suffice. More action filled chapter are to follow! Remember to review and follow, please! I appreciate and love all of you!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight: Distractions<strong>

By dusk of the next night, the group had made great progress. We had hardly run into any walkers, as surprising as that sounds.

The day passed quietly as Daryl and I rode side by side in his old, beat up truck. I would catch him glancing at me every so often, but I tried my best to ignore it.

Since our conversation yesterday morning, it had become awkward between us. He had reverted back to his former self; or so I had been told.

Emily told me that Andrea told her that when the group first got together, Daryl and his older brother Merle, kept to themselves and rarely contributed to the conversation.

Well, Merle was a trouble maker and Daryl was the only one to calm him down and pull him away before he choked someone out. Daryl never wanted any trouble, even though his brother always pulled him into some kind of mess.

I was also told that since Merle disappeared from a rooftop in Atlanta, the only thing remaining being his hand, that Daryl had started contributing more and helping Shane and Rick with hunting and general direction.

But, thats just how Daryl is, I noticed. He's intimidating and doesn't like to take orders, but he's always willing to help people out if they need it. I just couldn't imagine him bowing down to anyone and following their demands. But I guess it's different when it comes to his brother.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't know Daryl at all. We didn't get off to the best start in the woods that first day and I had constantly picked some kind of fight with him every day since. But, besides those few conversations, I knew nothing.

I thought by studying him from a distance I would learn all I needed to know, but that hasn't been the case. He's rather difficult to read, which I suppose is a defense mechanism he uses to block out unwanted attention.

However, I didn't want him to use that stoic look whenever I talked to him, but I didn't want him to be a grouch to me either. I wanted to get to know the real Daryl; the one that no one gets to see.

A selfish part of me wanted to be the only one, too. I didn't know why I wanted to be, but I did.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as the truck came to a halt.

Looking around, I noticed that we weren't in any town, which didn't seem to bother me any. After all, towns meant walkers and I really didn't feel like dealing with them at the moment.

The moon reflected off the surface of a lake causing a smile to grace my lips. I was dying for a bath, as were all of the others I'm sure.

I climbed out of the truck and headed down toward it. I knew it wasn't the smartest or safest decision, but I had my guns if something were to happen.

When I reached the edge of the water, I squatted down and plunged my hands into it. The cool water felt heavenly as I brought it to my face to wash away the grime.

Looking behind me, I heard the group start to set up camp for the night. Sighing, I stood back up and walked back towards them.

Since darkness was rapidly approaching, it was getting rather hard to see, but I managed to get to the RV just as Glenn came barreling out the door. Instinctively, I reached my hands out to grab him, steadying us both. He jumped a bit, probably thinking it was a walker, but relaxed as my familiar features came into sight.

"Whoa there, Glenn," I grinned. "You okay? You look like you just thought a walker was about to getcha."

Even though it was getting difficult to see, I know he rolled his eyes. I let go of his arms and took a step back.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said.

We stood there awkwardly for a few moments, before Glenn spoke up again. "Okay, well, I'll see ya later Kait," he mumbled before walking towards the smoking fire.

I squinted my eyes, a little confused at that awkward encounter. Glenn and I could usually joke around whenever we talked, but he seemed a little distant just now. I figured I would let it go for now because he's probably just tired.

However, I decided I would keep an eye on him just to make sure that there was nothing seriously wrong.

"Hey, Kait!" I heard yelled in my direction.

I turned around and saw my sister skipping to me. She seemed to be in a rather chipper mood. She must have recently talked with Rick.

I shook my head at the thought. He's a husband and a father, she should know better than to get mixed up in that.

"Hey, sista! Haven't seen you all day! How's it goin'?" I said with a smile. We quickly hugged each other.

"I'm doing great! What about you? You've been cooped up with Daryl all day. Make any moves?" She giggled.

I rolled my eyes at the way she said Daryl's name, all drawn out and dreamy sounding.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.

She gave me a pointed look, not believing the words I said. I decided to change the subject. I would get her back later.

"So, anyways. Where's our new tent at? I want to go to bed," I said.

A chuckle came from my sister's lips as she shook her head. "We put it in the back of Daryl's truck remember?"

"Oh, right," I said. "I forgot."

With that I turned in the direction of the truck and started towards it. When I got there I saw that Daryl, too, came back to retrieve his supplies.

I stopped in my tracks and gazed at him. He hadn't seen me come up yet, so he didn't see me staring. My eyes could barely make out his form, but I could picture his thick biceps straining as he lifted his things from the back.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I strode up to him.

"Hey, Daryl," I said.

I saw his head turn towards me so I knew he knew I was there. He replied with a simple, "Hey." I really didn't know what to say, so I kept quiet in hopes that he would initiate the conversation.

Fat chance of that.

I walked closer to the truck and much to my surprise, when I reached it, Daryl was holding my tent supplies out to me. As I reached up to grab the bag by the handle, my hand brushed his. As cliché as it sounds, I couldn't help but shiver and blush at the contact.

I scolded myself at my reaction. I told myself I wanted to get to know him, not anything like that.

I think.

"Thanks," I smiled as I grabbed my stuff.

He also handed me my crossbow and ammo. After, he nodded as if to say 'you're welcome' but that was all.

"Well, I'll see ya later," I said before turning my back to walk away and find a place to set up camp.

Even though it was dark, I could still feel his hot gaze on my retreating form.

Oh boy, I thought.

I guess walkers aren't going to be the only distraction I have on the hunt for my father.


End file.
